Computer hardware designers regularly create systems with subcomponent printed circuit boards ("PCB's"). These PCB's must be connected electrically to other subassembly PCB's and to a common structure or "motherboard" to function properly. Currently, those electrical signals that must be routed on or off a particular PCB are done so on the edge of the PCB in rows of small sockets which are attached along one edge. The electronic circuits on the PCB's terminate at these sockets. The sockets are designed to connect, typically, to two or four rows of pins on a motherboard. The mating pins carry through the motherboard to internal connections, and terminate, on the reverse side, in matching pins. Necessary connections between PCB's on the same motherboard are made internally, within the motherboard. Connections between PCB's on different motherboards are made externally, by attaching cables from pin to pin. Each cable typically contains a dozen individual circuits and terminates in a dozen sockets. Motherboards are designed to accept numerous PCB's resulting in many long rows of dense connecting pins.
At least one problem arises when PCB's from different motherboards are connected to one another by cable. Reliability requirements mandate that each external cable must be secured to the motherboard to avoid inadvertent disconnection.
One approach to this problem could be to increase the normal force between the pin and cable socket. This could be accomplished by decreasing the size of the socket or by increasing the size of the pin. Although the resulting connection would be secure from unintentional separation, it would be equally resistent to intentional separations by the user. The individual pins would also be susceptible to damage by the excess force required to intentionally make or break the connection. As a result, this solution is not practical.
A practical method of securing a cable to a pin field is to mechanically connect or latch the cable to the motherboard. Although the pin to socket normal force may be kept small, the size of the latching mechanism becomes critical on a crowded motherboard. Conventional devices use screws or latching end-brackets to secure the cable to the motherboard. These mechanical means are typically mounted at either end of a pinfield. The presence of the locking mechanism therefore requires that the pin fields have gaps in them to accommodate the hardware.
A related solution is to route the circuits within the motherboard to an area where there are no PCB pins. The routed circuits can then emerge from the motherboard for cable attachment to another set of pins and to the latching hardware.
Neither of these latter two options is completely satisfactory given present component densities. Increasing the parts count results in higher numbers of pins per PCB, more PCB's per motherboard, and little spare room on current motherboards.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a cable latching mechanism that is secure against inadvertent separation, that allows the user to easily make or break a connection when desired, and that does not require additional space on the motherboard to mount.